Stupid new battery question

[northwind]

I finally bought the new battery I've owed my bike for about 6 months... Do I need to charge it up before I fit it, or is it good to go from the box? Never had a new one before...

[Cloggsy]

I don't suppose 'optimising' it would hurt :?

[21QUEST]

'Good to go'

Cheers
Ben

[amarko5]

usually good to go

but it cannot hurt to give it a little extra help in this weather :lol:

[northwind]

Ta folks.

[philipMac]

I just stuck mine in. Started first time. Didnt charge... realised I needed a new reg/rec and not a battery after all. :oops:

[Last Action Pimp]

charge it before you put it on, or put it on then ride the bike dont let it sit around

[Warren]

i always thought that batteries came with a tiny bit in them already. so need a good old charge first.

infact.
when mates have bought new bikes, the batteries have been more or less dead.

same goes when a mate bought a new battery.

[Sid Squid]

Many new batteries come 'dry charged', that is the battery plates are produced with their chemical properties arranged such that the battery will be at least partly charged when it's filled with electrolyte, and the chemical reaction that produces a current begins, that said the battery won't be at it's best and a charge will ensure it starts it's life without troubles.

[northwind]

Marvellous, it turns out my stupid question wasn't quite so stupid after all ;)

[DeeJay]

Marvellous, it turns out my stupid question wasn't quite so stupid after all ;)

My quote of the day so far!!

"There are no stupid questions, just stupid people!"

Not meant at you.. but i have never found the right time to use it hehehe :lol:

[iprideaux]

My new one said to put the acid in, let it stand for half an hour and then charge at 0.9 Amps for 5-10 hours.

[northwind]

"There are no stupid questions, just stupid people!"

South Park, for everyday gems of homsepun wisdom ;)

[philipMac]

My new one said to put the acid in, let it stand for half an hour and then charge at 0.9 Amps for 5-10 hours.

Put the acid in?????
When did you buy the battery. Circa 1920, right?

[dirtydog]

My new one said to put the acid in, let it stand for half an hour and then charge at 0.9 Amps for 5-10 hours.

Put the acid in?????
When did you buy the battery. Circa 1920, right?

er no i had to do that with an sv battery about 2 years ago

[Biker Biggles]

I think the acid is to produce hallucinations while you wait for the battery to charge up. :lol:

[Tigerrrr.......]

Hey, Northy.

You've got to get an Optimate III SP.

The best forty quid you'll spend.

Mine is never off the bikes or the cars.

Brilliant piece of kit.

Grrrr............

[northwind]

I've got an Optimate... That's the only reason my old reanimated corpse of a battery has kept going so long ;) I don't entirely trust it though, it never seems to get to full charge. Then again, that could be down to the shoddy batteries it usually gets used with. Fitted the new one up tonight but the bike's still got no tank on so I've not tested it yet (can't remember if I said, but it's one of the new high cold-cranking output ones from Yuasa)

[Sid Squid]

My new one said to put the acid in, let it stand for half an hour and then charge at 0.9 Amps for 5-10 hours.

Put the acid in?????
When did you buy the battery. Circa 1920, right?

Phil, what do you have in your battery? :lol:

[jambo]

My new one said to put the acid in, let it stand for half an hour and then charge at 0.9 Amps for 5-10 hours.

The putting in of Acid should be done by the bike dealer / retailer prior to letting you have it to avoid injury / lawsuits etc.....

[iprideaux]

The putting in of Acid should be done by the bike dealer / retailer prior to letting you have it to avoid injury / lawsuits etc.....
Presumably the courier people dont like batteries with acid in, in case it seeps through the vent.
http://www.watchbattery.co.uk/shop/Motorcycle_Batteries.shtml#BM-YTX9BS
shows the acid bottles. Take the red strip off of the battery, turn the bottles upside down on top of the battery. The individual necks are foil sealed, push the bottles down onto the battery until the filler holes pierce the foil seals. Watch until the acid has bubbled down into the battery (tap the bottles if they're reluctant to start bubbling). Once the acid's in, remove the bottles and press the sealing stip onto the filler holes. Ten minute job.

Wait half an hour and give it a top up charge.

[jambo]

It's not difficult to top a battery up with acid, simply most companies are too worried about people burning themselves to give us the choice :lol: :roll:

[philipMac]

My new one said to put the acid in, let it stand for half an hour and then charge at 0.9 Amps for 5-10 hours.

Put the acid in?????
When did you buy the battery. Circa 1920, right?

Phil, what do you have in your battery? :lol:
Well. Thats another story. (A small cold-fusion reactor, cant go into details.) I was under the impression, obviously incorrectly, that the SV650 Bat was a sealed gel unit. And, the last couple of non-sealed ones I bought came fully acidified.
I am just suprised that the flog you a cell, with a bottle of acid on the side. I didnt realise there was a special acid decanter with it. Sulturic Acid is nasty stuff. You would want the hose pipe handy for any slip ups.

[Sid Squid]

Quite, battery acid baths are no fun.

Batteries are always boxed unfilled, if they were filled when made they would start to degrade at a much quicker rate than as they are supplied which is dry charged. In the case of most sealed batteries, as is the SVs standard Yuasa, when you get a new one it's supplied with a six chamber container which you upend over the battery that fills the cells.

Gel batteries are a bit different in that the electrolyte is not a liquid but rather thicker as the name gel would suggest.

[Last Action Pimp]

some batteries have to be filled and then can be toped up,

then there are the ones that come unfilled and you fill them once and thats it

and the other is one that comes already filled.

[drumwrecker]

Sid squid is right.
My mate just got one. It was dry charged and came with a six cell pastic moulding of acid. You tear the plastic caps off which leaves each cell covered with aluminium foil. Place the plastic six cells of acid over the battery cells and when lined up push down and leave to drain making sure each cell is bubbling, leave for half to one hour, place plastic caps from the mouling on the battery and push down to seal off the cells. Done. Put batery on bike and go.
That reminds me he still owes me for the battey as I paid on my card.